The most unusual of rumours surrounding the next James Bond was that for a while, Orlando Bloom's name was coming up to play the part of the super spy in a restart of the franchise. The idea has been scrapped of course in favour of an older actor for "Casino Royale", but now something new has emerged.

Sky Movies reports the British hunk is in serious talks about a series of films based on an idea by a new author about the early life of the MI6 agent. Bloom says "I love the idea, in principle, as he can be far more adventurous and do more stunts. This is as near as I think I will get to playing the grown up James for the next 20 years."

This film series, which Miramax and Dreamworks have both been barracking for already, would be based on a new series of young 007 novels which began this year with 'Silverfin' which has already become a best seller. In the book set in the 1930's, a teenage James Bond spends a holiday at a remote castle where he soon comes upon a mystery involving killer eels and an arms tycoon conducting dangerous genetic experiments.

Thanks to 'Shatterhand'